Ellie Taylor: My journey into events
Hi, my name’s Ellie Taylor and I’m a Project Manager within Emota’s UK team. I’d like to share my journey with you – how I joined the company and entered the world of healthcare events and in doing so, how I have developed as an individual and been able to transfer many of my existing skills while building new ones.
August, 2023
Let me begin….
To start, here are some facts about my career to date:
- I joined AEE (now Emota) in February 2022 as a Project Manager
- I have a degree in Business Management and Finance, which I studied at the University of Birmingham. I completed my degree while working full-time
- Prior to joining AEE (now Emota), I had two jobs in project management – in commercial construction and transport construction. I was responsible for whole construction projects, working with planning teams and County Councils; sourcing materials, and being on-site to organize and manage multiple suppliers and the works which were being completed.
What brought me to the world of events?
The transition into events was a spontaneous and unplanned one. I was involved in planning a large company meeting, followed by leading and managing a company exhibition stand, which opened my eyes to the world of events and was something I felt I needed to explore more.
I am extremely new to the world of events and the healthcare industry as a whole. However, it was apparent early on that many of my skills were transferable from previous roles and experiences. Now I am adopting a more rounded and definitely more varied approach and attitude.
The event industry is fast-paced and demanding; there are times when the hours are crazy and a unique mindset is required to activate the broad number of on-site and pre-event requirements within often short time frames. I have had to develop a stronger eye for detail and focus on forward planning and contingency. The whole process from start to finish has a larger number of moving pieces and many factors and considerations; this is something I have had to control and consider to deliver the events successfully.
Many of the skills required to deliver events have been transferable, for example project management within my role is fairly similar to previous roles – budgets, customer relations, overviews, and general logistics are all skills and characteristics I have used previously. However, the change in industry has opened my eyes to many other tasks and working requirements. The requirement to always be five steps ahead, be forward-thinking, and plan to explore all possible options and opportunities is a challenge I enjoy but one I am still working hard to perfect. Before joining AEE (now Emota) there was very little requirement for me to consider so many moving pieces and stakeholders; there is a direct domino effect to most decisions. This required a new way of thinking. I am enjoying learning and experiencing individual challenges, tackling them, and moving on to the next.
Writing this, I am considering other new experiences I have learned and dealt with in the last year – hotel logistics, running orders, supplier logistics, agendas, branding, show flows, scopes of work, reporting, production, food and beverage, print – to name a few!
I have enjoyed embracing new areas required to succeed, developing and learning from my colleagues, and absorbing knowledge.
Proud.
One skill that I have really enjoyed strengthening and is something I am proud of, is dealing with pressured situations. In previous jobs I have had very little face-to-face involvement with the main customer and end client. However, when delivering events, I am regularly face-to-face with both. This was initially a challenge as it was a change of pace and different styles of customer service; I needed to think fast and make decisions on the spot to find solutions or answer their requests. I’ve been really proud of my ability to thrive under pressure and act accordingly!
This has all allowed me to build strong relationships with clients, meeting owners and external planning teams. In a recent on-site situation, the customer asked the project lead if I could deal directly with the issue. Although this was a high-pressure scenario, it was a great feeling, and it was very rewarding to be able to complete and manage this to obtain the best solution and outcome for all involved.
Bring on the challenge!
There are some tasks that I’m still mastering. We have lots of experienced specialist individuals within Emota who are all fantastic to learn from and I’m enjoying every second of it!
One of the reasons I enjoy project management is that I see the event from concept to live. I love the post-event debriefs and receiving client feedback – it fuels me to be better and experience and test different theories and concepts.
Rewarding experiences.
Here are some examples of the events I have been involved in over the last year with AEE (now Emota):
- An internal event for 800 people. This was the company’s annual kick-off meeting consisting of a gig night, gala dinner, drumming workshop, main plenary, and multiple breakouts
- An intimate yearly meeting bringing the company Presidents and Managing Directors together in Lisbon. A fun event of meetings mixed with incentives, seafood restaurants, wine tours, yachts, and internal policies!
- A collection of meetings that involved regional incentives. There were 13 in total, consisting of lots of activities, unique stays, and memorable experiences
- A last-minute event for 140 people in Frankfurt. This was a training meeting for the product launch of a new surgical tool. I was involved in sourcing the hotel; providing audio and video marketing; branding; sourcing a team-build and activities; transportation and food and beverages; video creation; streaming the event internationally and production
- An event for 300 healthcare professionals. This was a three-day meeting consisting of case studies, patient speakers, networking, evening dinners, dine-arounds, and gala dinners
I am happy to say I’ve already delivered 20+ events for Emota and I’m loving the industry more than ever anticipated!
If you’re interested in starting your events journey with us, we offer a range of exciting career opportunities to suit your skills and interests – from project management to production and content to communications. Visit our Careers page to check out our open vacancies or to get in touch.